Music Lane

In Reply to: RE: First the music, then the recordings posted by Feanor on May 21, 2007 at 07:17:26

To start off with the very first composer, Bach was well known in his own time as an organist, and some organ works should be on his short list.

And of course, one could nitpick all the way through. My favorite reference for this kind of thing in Rough Guide to Classical Music 4th edition. If you would count up the references in there, I'm sure it would be far greater than 250, especially if you start counting each of Shostakovich's string quartets singly, as you have done.

Eventually, of course, one leaves the basic repertoire and gets more esoteric. After getting a book on Bartok that included his complete works, I had to get his complete piano pieces when I saw that, and later I got a version where some of them are done on harpsichord (a suggestion Bartok himself made). Similarly, I got into a viola phase and got Hindemith's sonatas for viola (some with piano, some solo), also Shostakovich's dark end-of-life viola sonata, and Bartok's unfinished viola concerto (finished by someone else after his death). And when it comes to Xenakis, I would think the most basic and approachable would be the chamber music.

• Nitpicks welcome - Feanor 18:50:18 05/21/07 (2)
  In Reply to: RE: I like lists, but like all lists, it can be nitpicked posted by tunenut on May 21, 2007 at 12:54:09

  I'm willing to reconsider my choices. OK, perhaps I knock of Shostakovich's String Quartet No.3 for example. I like your suggested additions as well, though I indend to keep the list arbitrarily to around 250.
  
  The "Rough Guide to Classical Music" looks very worthwhile and I'll add it to my collection.
  

  Bill Bailey
  ___
  Visit my Image Gallery
  
  
  

  ---

  • Okay then... for LVB String Quartets ya GOTTA have op 132 - sjb 19:06:48 05/21/07 (1)
    In Reply to: RE: Nitpicks welcome posted by Feanor on May 21, 2007 at 18:50:18

    and for Mahler Symphony No's 6 & 9.
    
    And for Schumann Symphony No 2
    
    And if it were me I'd add one Liszt paino music piece (Harmonies poétiques et religieuses) and one Messiaen piano music piece (Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jèsus).
    
    But really, that could go on forever. I think it's a great list.
    

    Don't piss on my shoe and tell me it's raining.
    
    

    ---

    • But the M6? Good God, man! He'll never come back. nt - clarkjohnsen 10:15:52 05/22/07 (0)
      In Reply to: RE: Okay then... for LVB String Quartets ya GOTTA have op 132 posted by sjb on May 21, 2007 at 19:06:48

      z
      
      

      ---

In Reply to: RE: First the music, then the recordings posted by Feanor on May 21, 2007 at 07:17:26

A good list, but apparently even a core of 250 leaves us with barely a sampling of some great composers (only three Mahler symphonies? Only one piece by Ives? only three by Stravinsky?) and nothing from Tippett, Lutoslawski, Adams, Dutilleux or several others. Looks like we'll have to go for at least 300 if that's what it takes to get Symphony of Psalms, Mahler's 9th, and few distinguished contemporaries on there. But still, a very nice list!

• Oh, true enough - Feanor 11:36:53 05/21/07 (0)
  In Reply to: RE: Even 250 isn't enough! posted by M. Lucky on May 21, 2007 at 08:59:43

  I'll admit I have included a few items because (a) they are personal favorites, for example Shostakovich quartets, (b) I feel contemporary works are somewhat under-represented in standard lists, and (c)I feel standard lists over represent Romantic era composers so I trimed down on the Beethoven and Brahms symphonies for example. And I'm just not that strong on Mahler, at least at this point in time.

  In any case the 250 aren't meant to be an absolute ranking of "best" compositions, rather to be somewhat representative of the various eras, etc.

  
  Bill Bailey
  ___
  Visit my Image Gallery
  
  
  

  ---

  Edits: 05/21/07
• Even 300 may not be enuf for some......... - Chuck Y 10:43:06 05/21/07 (0)
  In Reply to: RE: Even 250 isn't enough! posted by M. Lucky on May 21, 2007 at 08:59:43

  I looked thru the '250' and am amazed by the absence of so many of my core selections, especially keyboard. Its all so personal, isn't it?
  
  

  ---

In Reply to: RE: First the music, then the recordings posted by Feanor on May 21, 2007 at 07:17:26

Some fairly obscure stuff on here. Not saying that it your list is not worthwhile or that listening to all of these would not be a noble goal.

• Obscure? Well maybe - Feanor 11:29:12 05/21/07 (2)
  In Reply to: RE: Just wondering how many of these you have actually been able to enjoy? posted by edta on May 21, 2007 at 07:29:17

  I'm not sure just which you have in mind when you say obscure. But while it's true there is a very tiny portion I haven't heard, I have listened to all the 20th century and contemporary works listed excepting Berg's opera, Wozzeck which I can't recall hearing.
  

  Bill Bailey
  ___
  Visit my Image Gallery
  
  
  

  ---

  • Priorities? - edta 17:58:32 05/21/07 (1)
    In Reply to: RE: Obscure? Well maybe posted by Feanor on May 21, 2007 at 11:29:12

    Perhaps the below are all worthwhile, but at this point, my suggestion to a newbie would be to first investigate all of the Beethoven String Quartets, particularly the late quartets, also his late Piano Sonatas. Also, suggesting some more of the Mozart Piano Concertos and some of his string quartets ( the last four, at least) all of which are MIA, some of the Bach Cantatas (at least bwv 140) and more Bach Keyboard music, at least the six keyboard partitas , more of the Haydn Piano Trios as well as string quartets and symphonies. Elliot Carter music you suggest over Mozart’s Cosi opera? I don’t understand why Brahms’ 2nd symphony was not included. And hey, where is Pachelbel’s Canon?
    
    
    BARBER, Samuel 20th Century Chamber Piano Sonata Op. 26
    BARBER, Samuel 20th Century Concerto Violin Concerto, Op. 14
    Bartók, Béla 20th Century Chamber Sonata for violin solo Sz. 117, BB 124
    Berg, Alban 20th Century Opera Wozzeck
    BOULEZ, Pierre Contemporary Choral Pli selon pli, for soprano & orchestra
    BRAHMS, Johannes Romantic Chamber Cello Sonata Op.38
    BRAHMS, Johannes Romantic Chamber Cello Sonata Op.99
    BRAHMS, Johannes Romantic Chamber Clarinet Sonata Op.120
    BRAHMS, Johannes Romantic Chamber Piano Quintet in F minor, Op.34a
    BRITTEN, Benjamin 20th Century Choral War Requiem Op.66
    BRITTEN, Benjamin 20th Century Opera Peter Grimes
    BRITTEN, Benjamin 20th Century Vocal Serenade for Tenor, Horn & Strings Op.31
    CARTER, Elliot Contemporary Contemporary String Quartets
    CARTER, Elliot Contemporary Contemporary Symphonia: sum fluxae pretium spei
    ELGAR, Edward Romantic Symphony Symphony No.2
    Messiaen, Olivier 20th Century Concerto Turangalîla-symphonie, for piano, ondes martenot, & orchestra, I/29
    Meyerbeer Romantic Opera Les Huguenots
    PACHELBEL, Johann Baroque Keyboard Organ Music (Choral Preludes, Fantasias, etc.)
    TCHAIKOVSKY, Pyotr Il'yich Romantic Chamber Piano Trio (%22In Memory of a Great Artist%22) A min Op. 50
    Walton, William 20th Century Concerto Cello Concerto
    Walton, William 20th Century Symphony Symphony No.1
    XENAKIS, Iannis Contemporary Orchestral Metastatis
    
    
    

    ---

    • Good suggestions, of course - Feanor 18:39:46 05/21/07 (0)
      In Reply to: RE: Priorities? posted by edta on May 21, 2007 at 17:58:32

      And I'm certainly willing to reconsider my choices. As I implied earlier, the selection is based on a consensus of lists from a variety of places, not just my personal choices, in fact the later contributed minimally to the final result.
      
      However, Beethoven string quartets is a interesting case in point: my consensus method turned up NO LvB quartets but I forced one middle and one late quartet because they're great as I agree . On the other hand, to say that a newbie ought to investigate all Beethoven's quartets is definitely overkill. The same goes for his piano sonatas from which I selected, IMO, a sufficient representive sample.
      
      I just might act on your suggestions for a Bach contata or two, and Haydn's piano trio which are great.
      
      To say I suggest Elliot Carter's music "over" Mozart's Così fan tutte isn't the way I look at it. That is, I'm not necessarily saying Carter's Symphonia: sum fluxae pretium spei is "better" than Cosi, only that given the other Mozart operas on the list, the topic is covered and we ought move on to something else.
      

      Bill Bailey
      ___
      Visit my Image Gallery
      
      
      

      ---